How do you tell you are getting older?

[Altamira]

I don't have, or know how to use, a facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin, instagram, snapchat, reddit, or pinterest, etc., account. Hell, maybe I am dead, and just don't know it yet.

 

[TMHeimer]

Everything just becomes a tiny bit harder as the years pass. Especially gearing up, walking to the shore, entering, fins on, exiting. So I favour the places I know where the walking, entering, etc. is easiest. The excitement of going somewhere and gearing up is no longer there--more like "here we go again and I gotta get those fins on --getting old". Kinda like when you're young the excitement of a road trip is the going and coming as much as what you do there. Now I would be happier if Scotty just beamed me there. Actually, I've always looked for "easy" dive sites since I started at age 51, I just didn't have a list of the "easiest" places. In general, the actual diving seems pretty much the same at 63. In 4-5 years I do plan to reduce the number of Nova Scotia dives each year, and, money allowing, spend more time diving where it's warm and less weight.

 

[AfterDark]

Everything is a PITA and all my dive gear weights more

 

[NelleG]

spent last night reallocating retirement funds to more conservative choices. And the skiing thing too. Went out last Friday, conditions were awesome. Still took three days to recover. First time out in three years and probably the last.

 

[Doc]

So far, an interesting cadre of "the usual suspects".

After skiing for 40+ years, and I mean very serious skiing, I learned about Lumbar Laminctomies.

Three monoskis reside in the basement. Anybody want one and a real skiing challenge? PM me.

Switch the full time pursuit to diving. Now..What's this Cancer crap?

Screw it, I'm goin' diving.

I generally pick my buddies from the "young strapping lad" category. They carry my stuff in from shore dives, then wade back out and let me think I'm holding onto their shoulder as they clamp onto me, walking shoreward.

The real indicator of getting older? It might be diving and pointing at where you want your ashes scattered. I got a place.

 

[jonhall]

The precursor was getting the invitation to join AARP at age 50.

Then it was my principal announcing, my last few years of teaching, that my hair seemed to have gotten whiter over the summer at the 1st day back teacher meetings.

More disheartening was the golf course giving me the senior rate without asking me my age.

But the kicker that let me know I was getting older was, for being an active person, the pain in my knee and loss of flexibility in my joints (MRI showed right knee with small ligament tears, ganglion cyst, and arthritis about 3 years ago.) After several cortisone shots early on and not being as active it began to feel better to the point I now still play tennis 3x a week and enjoy running around after the granddaughter with no lingering after effects.

As for diving, the knee was never really a factor (thank goodness) although I come up the ladder a bit slower.

 

[They call me Tater]

The gear is significantly heavier putting it away than it was getting it out.

Longer pause to slow my breathing before descending.

Wetsuit is shrinking.

 

[Flotsam]

My semi-regular visits to the ortho & PT always include the words "degenerative changes"

 

[Edward3c]

Here on the Scottish West coast, getting older is indicated by being first at the dive sites. Those under 50 still want a lie-in. When I do dive with youngsters I often find they need a rest to recover their breath before starting a dive, the poor things don't have much stamina.

That said I am considering getting a hoist put in the back of the car to lift the compressor in and out.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... rationalizing not doing things I used to love to do by telling myself I just don't feel like working that hard ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)